Actor Hugh Grant has accepted undisclosed libel damages over newspaper claims about the end of his relationship with Jemima Khan.

Associated Newspapers claimed the romance was destroyed by Mr Grant's flirtation with a film executive and his conduct over Liz Hurley's wedding.

Mr Grant said he took action because he was tired of "almost entirely fictional articles about my private life".

The actor will donate the damages to the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity.

Hurley wedding

Mr Grant said the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers, owned by the Associated Newspapers group, wrote such stories "for their own financial gain".

"I am also hoping that this statement in court might remind people that the so-called 'close friends' or 'close sources' on which these stories claim to be based almost never exist," he added.

Mr Grant's solicitor, Simon Smith, said the defendant had offered its apologies to his client for the embarrassment and distress caused by the publication of the false allegations and had agreed not to repeat them.

Hurley married partner Arun Nayar in March

Mr Smith said in a statement in court that the claim related to three articles.

He said the first article, published in the Mail on Sunday on 18 February, related to claims Mr Grant had been flirting with a senior executive at Warner Brothers while still in a relationship with Ms Khan.

The article said this had caused Ms Khan such distress, she had barely eaten for weeks.

The second was on 21 February in the Daily Mail, Mr Smith said.

It claimed Mr Grant would attend the wedding of his former partner Elizabeth Hurley and that he would be an usher and make a speech.

'Did not exist'

It also said he bought Ms Hurley two wedding presents - sponsorship of a chimpanzee and a necklace inscribed with a personal message.

The newspaper described these alleged events as being the cause of Mr Grant's split with Ms Khan.

On 24 February, Mr Smith told the court the Daily Mail published an article alleging that Mr Grant resented having to promote his films.

Hugh Grant starred in box office hit Music and Lyrics

Mr Smith said Mr Grant did not know of a woman at Warner Bros matching the Mail on Sunday's description of the source - "as far as he is aware, she simply does not exist".

He said Mr Grant did not attend Ms Hurley's wedding and did not buy either of the presents suggested.

He added that Mr Grant does not resent doing promotional work and goes to great lengths to promote his films.

Mr Grant and Ms Khan were together for almost three years.

The pair began dating after the end of Ms Khan's marriage to former Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan.

Mr Grant's publicist described the split as amicable.

Mr Grant was arrested in London on Wednesday over allegations he attacked a photographer near the actor's home.

Photographer Ian Whittaker told the Daily Star newspaper he was kicked before a tub of food was hurled at him.